Two and a half years later.
Time passed faster than anyone realized.
Two and a half years had slipped away, leaving behind memories that refused to fade.
Kael trained relentlessly, pushing himself through twenty-four-hour cycles of training and exhaustion. Every bruise, every wound, every moment of pain was something he buried deep inside himself. He never allowed anyone to see what he carried.
Grace, meanwhile, became busier with her work. Her responsibilities grew, but one thing about her never changed: her mentality. She remained determined, standing by the same beliefs she had always carried.
After sacrificing herself for the people, Grace began winning their trust. Slowly, people started to admire her. They voted for her, supported her, and believed in her.
But they didn't now what they had truly chosen.
Far from them, Larrisa joined the Malediction Directorate, the organization held by Robert. After the betrayal she had suffered, she entered a completely different world, one filled with missions, secrets, and information that could change everything.
Hazel continued working for Robert as well. She went from mission to mission, gathering information and bringing it back to him.
And somewhere far away from all of them, Eyrx, Nick, and Darven trained.
They trained deeper than ever before.
Their bodies grew stronger. Their minds became sharper. Their abilities reached a level that could allow them to survive in another realm.
Two and a half years changed all of their lives.
But not all of them survived those changes.
---
Two Weeks Earlier
Night.
The castle was unusually quiet.
Outside, the wind moved gently through the darkness while the faint sound of rain touched the windows.
Darven lay weakly on his bed.
His illness had grown worse.
Eyrx sat beside him, watching him carefully, while Nick stood nearby.
Nick looked at Darven with concern.
"Tomorrow, we're leaving for the city," he said quietly. "Please stay with us. Once we reach the city, we'll take you to the hospital."
Darven slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his tired face.
"I don't know if I'll survive until then."
Nick's expression tightened.
Darven continued, his voice weak.
"You two are going into other realms. You'll need a lot of money for that journey."
He looked toward Eyrx.
"You can take all my wealth."
Eyrx immediately shook his head.
"This isn't the time to talk about money, Darven. Just stay with us."
Darven stared at him for a moment.
"I can..."
His voice suddenly broke
"Darven?"
He coughed violently.
Nick quickly reached for the medicine and gave it to him.
"Here. Take this."
Darven swallowed the medicine and slowly settled back onto the bed
The room eventually became quiet again.
The clock moved toward 2:00 a.m.
Nick had fallen asleep on a chair beside the bed, his head tilted slightly to one side.
Eyrx remained beside Darven's bed.
Exhaustion eventually caught up with him too.
His eyes slowly closed
The room fell silent.
For a while, nothing moved.
Then
Darven opened his eyes.
He stared at the ceiling.
Slowly, he pushed himself upright.
Neither Eyrx nor Nick noticed.
Darven carefully placed his feet on the floor.
He stood.
His body trembled from weakness, but he forced himself forward.
Step by step, he reached the door.
Creeeak...
The door opened.
Darven slipped outside.
A strange shadow seemed to stretch across the corridor.
He stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong.
He continued walking until he reached a room where several weapons were kept.
His eyes fell upon an iron sword.
Darven reached for it.
His fingers wrapped around the cold handle.
Clink.
He drew the sword.
Then he left the room and slowly descended the stairs.
--
Eyrx's eyes suddenly opened.
Something felt wrong.
He looked toward Darven's bed.
Empty.
His expression changed instantly.
"Nick."
No response.
"Nick."
He shook his shoulder.
"Nick!"
Nick suddenly opened his eyes.
"What happened?"
"Darven isn't here."
The sleep disappeared from Nick's face.
"What?"
They both stood immediately.
---
Outside the castle, the night was cold.
Darven stood near the lake.
The surface of the water moved gently beneath the darkness.
Then he saw them.
Shadows.
One after another, they emerged from the darkness around him.
Darven tightened his grip around the iron sword.
His breathing became heavier.
The shadows attacked.
WHOOSH!
Darven swung the sword.
CLANG!
The blade collided with one of them.
Another shadow rushed toward him.
Darven stepped aside and struck.
SLASH!
Despite his weakened body, he continued fighting.
One shadow.
Then another.
His breathing became rough.
His knees weakened.
But he refused to fall.
Then—
A shadow appeared behind him.
Darven didn't notice.
A blade pierced through his back.
His body froze.
His eyes widened.
Blood slowly spread across his clothes.
The weapon had gone straight through his heart.
"DARVEN!"
Eyrx's scream echoed across the lake.
Eyrx and Nick came running.
Darven's sword slipped from his hand.
Clang.
He collapsed.
Eyrx caught him before he hit the ground.
"Darven!"
Nick dropped beside them.
"Darven!
But Darven's breathing was already fading.
Eyrx's eyes filled with tears.
"No..."
He held Darven tightly.
"No, no, no..."
His voice broke.
"Please... come back."
Darven's body became still.
Eyrx finally broke down.
His cries echoed through the night.
---
Present Day
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Rain fell over the graveyard.
Nick stood silently beneath an umbrella.
His eyes remained fixed on a single grave.
The rainwater ran down the stone.
And carved into it was one name:
DARVEN
Nick said nothing.
For a long moment, he simply stood there.
Then—
Footsteps approached through the rain.
Nick slowly turned his eyes to the right.
Eyrx was standing there.
Two and a half years had passed, but something about him had barely changed.
His messy black hair fell naturally around his face.
His blue eyes seemed to shine beneath the gray sky.
He wore a simple shirt and shorts, his body now stronger and more developed from years of training, though he had never built himself into something overly muscular.
Around his neck hung his emerald-green pendant.
Eyrx stopped beside Nick.
"Let's go."
Nick looked at him.
He had changed too.
His hair had grown longer and was tied into a ponytail. Glasses rested over his eyes, and a chain hung around his neck. His body had become stronger, carrying the evidence of years of relentless training.
He looked at Darven's grave one last time.
Then he lowered his umbrella slightly.
"Let's go."
The two turned away from the grave.
Their footsteps slowly disappeared into the sound of the rain.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Behind them, Darven's grave remained silent.
But the world ahead was anything but peaceful.